Whitehall Aides Ratify Contract, End Strike Today

Whitehall-Coplay School District custodians, maintenance personnel and secretaries yesterday ratified a tentative contract settlement and voted to return to work today after a two-week strike.

The settlement was reached after six hours of negotiations Monday night, the first time the two sides talked since the service personnel workers walked off their jobs Sept. 4 and began picketing the district campus.

Neither side would comment on the details of the pact, pending ratification by the school board.

"I can't say anything about the agreement," said Vince Putiri, field representative for the Whitehall-Coplay School Service Personnel Association, which represents the 43 service personnel workers. "The mediator (Leonard Kern) has a blackout until both parties have ratified."

Putiri said, however, "I'm glad that the people are going back to work."

Remarked Owen Eberhart Jr., chief district negotiator, "I think it's a good contract for both groups."

Eberhart said a school board vote is set for Sept. 26. The board will also vote on a tentative teachers' settlement at that meeting.

Putiri reported the union's vote was not unanimous, but he would not release the tally. He said nearly all of the union members were present at the ratification meeting.

The union voted Aug. 31 to reject a final contract offer by the district, charging that the district was attempting to take away benefits fought for in previous years.

The two-year pact called for raises of 5.8 percent each year, but the union claimed the increase was only 2.5 percent when the loss of holidays, personal days and vacations was considered.

Negotiations were reported by both sides to be difficult partly because this was the first time the workers were negotiating as one union.

The secretaries contract was separate from the custodians and maintenance workers. Both contracts expired June 30.